Telegraph-transmitter.



N0- 876,069. PATENTED JAN. '7, 1908.

G. E. LEE & L. K. MILLER.

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

A PPLIOATION FILED KAY 14, 1906.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1906.

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CHARLES E. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND

LEWIS K. MILLER, OF BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

Specification of' Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

Application filed May 14,1906- Serial No. 316.593.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. LEE and LEwIs K. MILLER, citizens of the United States, respectively residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State of Illinois, and at Brooklyn, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph- Transmitters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in telegraphic signal transmitters, and has for its salient object to provide a mechanical telegraph transmitter providing actuatorseach representative of a character, or symbol, to be transmitted, and all associated with the contact devices of an electric circuit for cooperation therewith, the respective actuators being operatively associated with suitable keys arranged in a keyboard so that upon the operation of the keys of the board, after the manner of a typewriter, telegraphic transmission of the characters corresponding with the keys actuated may be effected.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the general character described, which is simple in construction, effective in operation and susceptible of rapid manipulation, and wherein, further, the operation of the circuit breaker will be even and uniform under all conditions of operation, so thatthe signals transmitted will be clear and accurate.

In the drawings we have illustrated a portion of an apparatus embodying our invention, for convenience showing only two keys, but it will be understood that the provision of a complete apparatus for the transmission of any desired telegraphic matter requires only the multiplication of keys and the consequent enlargement of the apparatus, without any change in the character of the construction.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a transmitter; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the governing devices in elevation; Fig. 3 is a central section showing the actuator inthe act of ascent. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the actuator in the act of descent.

Throughout the drawings like numerals of reference refer always to like parts.

In the drawings 10, 10 indicate the side pieces of a frame supporting at the front of the machine insulating blocks 1 1, 1 1 wherein are mounted the front and back contacts 12 and 12 respectively, of the circuit breaker.

13 indicates the vibratile member of the circuit breaker, comprising a contact finger extending between the contacts 12 and 12 and projecting from a rock shaft 14, extending transversely of the machine past all of the actuators to be described, provided with a depending stirrup 14 likewise extending transversely of the frame past all of the actuators, and having its foot member suitably disposed for coaction with said actuators under certain conditions.

15 indicates a spring, normally holding contact member 13 against its back contact.

1616indieate the actuators. Each aetuator -16 comprises a flat lever provided at its forward end with an arcuate toothed shoe 17, the teeth 18 whereof are disposed in proper relation to indicate a telegraphic character, or symbol, said lever being provided with a pivot aperture 19, somewhat extended longitudinally of the lever. 20 indicates a pivot rod extending from one side frame. to the other, through the pivot apertures 19, of the several actuators. Thus each actuator is pivotally movable cdgewise in a generally vertical plane to cause its teeth 18 to pass the stirrup 14 of the vibratile contact 14, and is also movable transversely relative to said stirrup and longitudinally of the lever, through the range of movement permitted by the slot 19, into or out of operative association with said stirrup.

For elevating each actuator 16 we provide a key lever 22, pivoted as at 23, and provided at its forward extremity with a finger piece,

or key proper, 241, such lever having on its rear extremity a projection 25, carrying a pin 26 which underlies the edge of the actuating lever 16 in front of its pivotal point, so that as the finger piece 24 is depressed the pin 26 is elevated, and thus the key lever acting through pin 26 upon the actuator 16, elevates the latter. A spring 27 connected between the pin 26 in a suitable rod 28, forming part of the frame, serves to return the key to normal position, and a spring 29, connected to the actuator and to a suitable part of the frame, serves to depress the actuator 16 after its elevation by the lever, this spring action being, of course, assisted by the action of gravity.

The spring 29 is preferably so arranged that it exerts its pull upon the actuator 16 in a forward as well as a downward direction,

/ so that it tends to shift the actuator longitudinally to its forward-most position so that its teeth are positioned for cooperation with the vibratile contact.

We provide in the machine means for positively insuring that the actuator shall make its upward movement, under the infiuence of the key lever 22, in its rearmost position, out of cooperative relation to the vibratile contact, and shall make its descending movement in operative co-relation with the vibratile contact. To this end, we provide upon the actuator 16, in rear of its pivot 20, an arcuate guide 30 projecting transversely from the side face of the actuator, and having its upper and lower ends beveled, as shown at 31, 31. A bar 32 extending across the frame between the side members thereof, is provided with recesses 32, and projections or pins 33, disposed for cooperation with such guides 30. The angular measurement of the guide 30 is slightly less than the full range of movement of the actuator 16, and its association with the corresponding stationary projection 33 is such that when the guide 30 is in front of the projection 33 the actuator is positively maintained in its forward position, such that its teeth are operatively associated with the stirrup part 14 of the vibratile contact, while when the guide 30 is in rear of the projection 33 the teeth 18 are longitudinally removed from co6perative association with the said vibratile contact.

The arrangement of the spring 29 to pull forward, provides means for shifting the actuator 16 forward when it has reached the top of its stroke under the influence of the key lever 22, and to provide means for positively moving the actuator 16 rearwardly'at the termination of its downward stroke, we provide for each actuator a roller 34 mounted upon a pin 34, extending between the side pieces of the machine frame, and arranged upon the actuator a cam surface 35, disposed to strike the roller 34 at a suitable point when the actuator has almost reached its downward limit of movement, and shaped to move said actuator rearwardly as the cam surface 35 slides over the roller 34.

It will now be seen that the operation of the parts so far described is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the condition shown in Fig. 3, with the key lever in the act of raising the actuator and the cam 30 riding in rear of the pin 33; the teeth 18 are removed rearwardly out of position for coaction with the vibratile member of the contact device, so thatduring the upward movement of the actuator the circuit through the contact device is not affected. When now the lever 22 reaches its limit of depression and the actuator is raised to its highest point of elevation the upper extremity 31 of the point of incline 31 guide 30 passes beneath the projection 33 so that the spring 29 acts to draw the actuator forward, until the point of incline 31 of the guide 30 passes the forward face of the pro jection 33. Now as the key lever 22 is re leased and allowed to return, the actuator starts its independent descent under the influence of the spring 29 and gravity, and the guide 30, riding in front of the projection maintains the actuator in forward position, so that the teeth 18 are operatively related to the vibratile member of the contact, and, in their descent coact with the stirrup 14 to vibrate the contact 13 each time a tooth passes said stirrup. Under these conditions the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 4. Now when the actuator approaches its normal or depressed position, the guide 30 passes above the projection 33, and at the same time the cam portion 35 of the actuator strikes the roller 34, and by reason of its cam configuration forces the actuator rearwardly against the tension of spring 29, until the p of the guide 30 passes the rear surface of the projection 33. Now upon the next upstroke of the key lever the initial upward movement of the actuator causes the guide 30 on its rear end to pass down behind the projection 33, so that the upward movement of the actuator takes place under the conditions heretofore described.

We also provide in our machine means for governing the descent of the actuators, such governing means being common to all of the actuators, whereby uniformity of operation of each actuator upon the vibratile contact is assured. To this end we provide in the rear portion of. each actuator, in rear of its pivot 20, a curved slot 36, the rear curved surface of which is provided with a gear segment 37. In the frame we provide a pinion 37 extending through all of the apertures 36 of the respective actuators, and mounted upon a shaft 38 at its ends journaled in the frame, said shaft being provided at one end with a gear wheel 39 meshing with the pinion 40 carried by a shaft 41, whereon is mounted a suitable centrifugal governor generally indicated at 42. In the specific construction shown 43 indicates a suitable frame work projecting from the side piece 10 of the frame and affording bearing for the outer extremity of the shaft 41, and the governor 42 is shown as comprising a bar 44 mounted on the shaft 41 for rotation therewith, and having therein on opposite sides of its axis slots 45 wherein slide blocks 46 having projecting therefrom the fingers 47 each of which extends beyond the shaft and is bent back to overlie said shaft. A spring 48 connects the blocks 46 and tends to hold them at their inward limit of movement in which the crossing fingers 47 are most widely separated. Upon the shaft is mounted for rotation and reciprocation, a beveled head 49, maintained in con tact with the bar 44 by a spring 50. it will be seen that as the shaft 41 is rotated the centrifugal action causes the blocks 46 to separate, drawing their crossed fingers 47 toward each other and toward the head 49. As the velocity of rotation becomes sufficiently great the fingers 47 press upon the head 49, and, by reason of the beveling of said head tend to press the same back against the tension of its spring 50. In this way an effective braking action is secured, which governs and regulates the speed of rotation of the shaft and consequently the speed of rotation of the pinion 37.

It will be seen, by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, that the parts are so arranged that when the actuatoris moved rearwardly in its ascent the gear teeth 37 do not mesh with the pinion 37, but that as the actuator descends the gear and pinion are caused to intermesh so that the governor acts to control the speed of movement of the actuator only in its descent and hasno effect thereon during its ascent.

WVhile we have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of our invention which we deem to be novel and advantageous we do not desire to be understood as limiting our invention to the specific features of construction shown and described further than as specified in the claims, as it will be'apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications might be made in the physical structure without departure from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, of the United States, is:

1. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of contacts, a toothed actuator movable into operative relation to the contact on its downstroke and out of operative relation to said contact on its upstroke, and a key lever arranged to raise the actuator and to permit its free return.

2. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a vibratile contact, an actuator pivoted for oscillation past the vibratile contact and longitudinally movable toward and from said contact, a key for raising said actuator, and means other than the key for longitudinally moving said actuator.

3. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a vibratile contact, an actuator pivoted for oscillation past the vibratile contact, and longitudinally movable toward and from said contact, means for oscillating said actuator, and means for guiding said actuator through its pivotal movement in one direction at its forwardmost limit of longitudinal motion, and through its reverse pivotal motion at its rearmost limit of longitudinal motion.

4. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a vibratile contact, an actuator Now pivoted for oscillation past said vibratile contact and longitudinally movable toward and from the latter, means for oscillating said actuator, means for longitudinally moving said actuator into and out of operative relation to the vibratile contact at predetermined points in its oscillating movement, and a governor arranged for coaction with the actuator when positioned. in operative relation to the vibratile contact.

5. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a plurality of normally depressed actuators, key levers therefor, arranged to elevate the actuators and free them for descent, contact devices operatively associated with the actuators, a centrifugal governor, arranged for cooperation with any of the actuators to receive its moving power therefrom, and means for moving said actuators out of and into operative association with said governor, respectively, as the actuators are elevated and depressed.

6. In a device of the character described, a vibratile contact, a plurality of actuators, each movable in one direction past the vibra tile contact out of operativeassociation therewith and for gravity movement past said vibratile contact in the other direction in operative association therewith, and a com mon governor for all of the actuators arranged for cooperation with each actuator only when said actuator is moving past the vibratile contact in operative association therewith.

7. In a device of the character described, a vibratile contact, an actuator movable longi tudinally toward and from the contact and vertically past the contact, a key for elevating the actuator, and means for maintaining the actuator in its forwardmost position of longitinlinal movement during its descent past the vibratile contact, and in its rear-most position of longitudinal movement in its ascent past the vibratile contact, whereby said actuator operatively coacts with the vibratile contact only during its descent.

S. Ina device of the character described, a

vibratile contact, a pivoted actuator movable longitudinally into and out of operative association with the vibratile contact, and movable in oscillation aboutits pivot, a rack carried by said actuator, a pinion wherewith said actuator meshes only when in position of longitudinal movement operatively associating it with the vibratile contact, a governor connected with said pinion, and a key-lever for elevating the actuator.

9. In a telegraph transmitter, a frame, a plurality of actuators pivotally mounted in said frame and each movable longitudinally on its pivot, a rock-shaft extending transversely of the frame, and arranged to be rocked by the teeth of an actuator when the latter sweeps therebyin its forwardmost position of longitudinal movement on its pivot, a

single vibratile contact device carried by said rocleshaft, coacting contact devices carried by the frame, a plurality of'key-levers, each operatively associated with a corresponding actuator to elevate the latter, means for maintaining each actuator in its rearmost position of longitudinal movement during its upward pivoted movement, and in its forwardmost position of longitudinal movement during its return pivotal movement, and a governing device common to all of the actuators associated therewith for controlling only the downward movement of each actuator.

10. In a telegraph'transmitter, the combination of a frame, a plurality of key-levers mounted in the frame, a like plurality of pivoted actuators, each operatively associated with a key-lever for movement in response to movement of its key-lever, and provided With an arcuatetoothed portion, a rock-shaft arranged in the frame transversely to the toothed portions of said actuators, a stirrup depending from said rockshaft, arranged to be moved by any of the actuators to rock theshaft, and a circuit controlling switch having its movable element operatively connected with the rock-shaft.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our hands in the presence of witnesses.

CHARLES E. LEE.

LEWIS K. MILLER. Witnesses for Charles E. Lee:

ARTHUR F. BOARDMAN, CoLvER J. STONE. WVitnesses for Lewis K. Miller:

JNo. H. BECKER, HIRAM M. KIRK. 

